Home / Topics / MSC Railway Deviations 135
The Manchester Ship Canal is a 36 mile waterway in the North West of England linking Manchester to the Irish Sea. Construction began in 1887 and the canal opened in January 1894. See separate album collecting together all my Manchester Ship Canal photos.
Of particular interest to me are the bridges provided by the Ship Canal Company for the five railway lines that cross the route of the Canal. These were termed "Railway Deviations" and were numbered from No.1 in the west to No.5 to the east. In each case the railway companies forced the Canal company to build the new railway bridges and associated embankments, and test them as satisfactory, before the old routes could be taken out of use. This of course meant that both routes had to co-exist, and in turn this means that significant sections of the original routes are still visible to this day - despite the fact they were closed to through traffic in 1893.
This album collects together photos I have taken of the Railway Deviations and the original, pre-1893, alignments.
Of particular interest to me are the bridges provided by the Ship Canal Company for the five railway lines that cross the route of the Canal. These were termed "Railway Deviations" and were numbered from No.1 in the west to No.5 to the east. In each case the railway companies forced the Canal company to build the new railway bridges and associated embankments, and test them as satisfactory, before the old routes could be taken out of use. This of course meant that both routes had to co-exist, and in turn this means that significant sections of the original routes are still visible to this day - despite the fact they were closed to through traffic in 1893.
This album collects together photos I have taken of the Railway Deviations and the original, pre-1893, alignments.

- Glazebrook
- Cadishead station
- Glazebrook (Cadishead)
- Glazebrook (Cadishead)
- Glazebrook (Cadishead)
- Glazebrook
- Glazebrook
- Irlam station
- Irlam station
- Irlam station
- Irlam viaduct
- Irlam viaduct
- Irlam viaduct
- Latchford
- Latchford
- Latchford
- Trans Pennine Trail
- Sinderland Road bridge
- Sinderland Road bridge
- Sinderland Road bridge
- Sinderland Road bridge
- Partington Gasworks underbridge
- Partington Gasworks underbridge
- Partington station
- Partington station
- Partington station bridges
- Partington station
- Irlam viaduct
- River Mersey outflow
- Irlam viaduct
- Flixton
- Flixton
- Flixton
- Flixton
- Partington
- Partington
- Cadishead viaduct
- Cadishead viaduct
- Cadishead viaduct
- Cadishead viaduct
- Cadishead viaduct
- Cadishead viaduct
- Cadishead viaduct
- Irlam Linear Park
- Irlam station
- Irlam station
- Irlam station
- Irlam station
- Irlam station
- Irlam station
- Irlam station
- Irlam station
- Irlam station
- Moss Road bridge, Cadishead
- Glazebrook Exchange Sidings
- Glazebrook Exchange Sidings
- Cadishead station
- Cadishead station
- Cadishead station
- Cadishead station
- Cadishead station
- Cadishead station
- Cadishead station
- Flixton
- Flixton
- Flixton
- Cadishead station
- Cadishead viaduct
- Cadishead viaduct
- Cadishead viaduct
- Cadishead viaduct
- Cadishead viaduct
- Cadishead viaduct
- Cadishead viaduct
- Cadishead viaduct
- Cadishead Way
- Runcorn to Latchford Canal
- Latchford viaduct
- Knutsford Road, Latchford
- Latchford viaduct
- Latchford
- Moore Lane bridge (LNWR)
- Moore Lane bridge (LNWR)
- Moore Lane bridge (LNWR)
- Moore Lane bridge (LNWR)
- Moore Lane bridge (GWR)
- Moore Lane bridge (GWR)
- Runcorn Road bridge (GWR)
- Moss Lane bridge
- Moss Lane bridge
- Walton Old Junction
- Walton Old Junction
- Walton Old Junction
- Moore Lane swing bridge
- Latchford High Level bridge
- Irlam
- Latchford High Level bridge
- Latchford High Level bridge
- Latchford High Level bridge
- Wash Lane Level Crossing
- Woolacombe Close, Latchford
- Woolacombe Close, Latchford
- Wilderspool Causeway
- Knutsford Road, Latchford
- Irlam Linear Park
- Latchford
- Latchford
- Walton Old Jn
- Walton Old Jn
- Walton
- Walton
- Bellhouse Lane
- Bellhouse Lane
- Bellhouse Lane
- Bellhouse Lane
- Bellhouse Lane
- Bellhouse Lane
- Bellhouse Lane
- Irlam Locks
- Irlam Locks
- Latchford Locks
- Latchford Locks
- Latchford Locks
- Latchford Locks
- Latchford Locks
- Latchford Locks
- Latchford Locks
- Partington wharf
- Partington wharf
- Latchford Locks
- Latchford High Level Bridge
- Latchford High Level Bridge
- Latchford Locks
- Latchford Locks
- Latchford Locks